If you are a mediator, or someone who works with divorcing or separating parents, you can help by telling these parents about the study and inviting them to visit this website (www.parting.psybu.com). For example, this could be done in an orientation workshop prior to a mediation session or at any time before or at the end of a mediation session. To take the survey, people simply click the "take survey" link. It will take them about 20 minutes to complete the survey, and the survey is anonymous (they are never asked to identify who they are). It can be completed independently by both members of a divorcing/separating dyad, or it can be completed by just a single member.

You can also help by doing some or all of the following:

Use flyers

When inviting divorcing or separating parents to complete the survey, you can give them flyers with information about the study. The links at the bottom of this page provide access to a flyer that can be used for this purpose.

If there is a place in the building where you are located where people could sit at a computer and complete the on-line survey in private, it would maximize participation rates if you invited people to complete the survey on site, at your location. For example, you could invite people to complete the survey at your location immediately after you tell them about the study, and/or at a time when they would otherwise simply be waiting for something with nothing else to do, and/or at a time when they are completing other paperwork. You could also arrange to have them complete the survey on site either before or after a future scheduled appointment.

Clarify nature of participation in the study.

The survey is designed to ensure that, before people agree to participate, they are informed that the survey is anonymous and that participation in research is voluntary. It would be helpful if you also call attention to these facts. First, the survey is anonymous and it will not be possible for the researchers to determine the identity of the participants. In addition, the researchers will not ask you to provide any information about the people you invite to participate. Conversely, the researchers will also not be able to share with you any information pertaining to the responses from a single person or a single dyad.

Second, participation in this study is voluntary, and the survey is designed so that data will not be collected from any person who reports feeling pressured or coerced into participation. Before taking the survey, potential participants will view a document stating that: it would be inappropriate for a divorce mediator to make a divorcing parent feel like he or she needs to complete this survey to receive fair treatment in mediation. It would also be inappropriate for someone to watch you, without your permission, to determine whether or not you are actually completing this survey. In addition, participants will be asked if they feel they are being pressured to complete the survey, and anyone reporting feelings of pressure will be instructed either to exit the survey or to give random answers to all the questions. We will not use data from any person who reports feeling pressured.